Huffington Post Claims WSJ Mortgage Report 'Falsified'

A Huffington Post writer charges that Wall Street Journal reporter John Emshwiller "falsified" and "concealed" key details when writing about allegations that Countrywide Mortgage gave sweetheart deals to prominent public officials.

Emshwiller claimed that Countrywide gave loans to public figures at lower interest rates or with lower origination fees than were available to the general public. But David Fiderer asserts on the Huffington Post that "the entire premise of Emshwiller's story was discredited a few hours after it was published when a unanimous Senate Ethics Committee announced the results of its exhaustive review of the Countrywide VIP program."

Fiderer also charges that Emshwiller "concealed the facts" that the Committee had investigated Democratic Sens. Christopher Dodd and Kent Conrad and their relationship with Countrywide, and found "no credible evidence" to support allegations against them.